Lost Stories of Black Charleston Walking Tour

Walk the path from slavery through Reconstruction to civil rights, told by someone who knows it.

This 2-hour walking tour of Charleston traces the overlooked history of Black Charleston through sites including the Charleston City Market, Heyward-Washington House, Old Slave Mart Museum and Charleston Waterfront Park. Led by writer, historian and licensed guide Damon Fordham, the tour centers on the stories and heroes erased from standard history books, from Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church to Catfish Row, and moves chronologically from slavery through Reconstruction to the civil rights era.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Charleston City Market30m
2. Heyward-Washington House10m
3. Charleston Waterfront Park30m

Explore Black Charleston's lost stories

• Meet guide Damon Fordham
• Visit Charleston City Market
• See Jehu Jones Hotel and Catfish Row
• Pass Heyward-Washington House
• Visit Old Slave Mart Museum
• Walk Charleston Waterfront Park

The experience

The tour starts at Charleston City Market, the historic downtown marketplace, and moves through a sequence of sites that anchor the city's Black history. You'll pass the Heyward-Washington House, home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, then reach the Old Slave Mart Museum, a building that once held slave auction galleries. The route ends along Charleston Harbor at Waterfront Park, where the walk concludes after two hours on foot.

Damon Fordham, the guide, is a writer, historian and educator licensed to lead tours in Charleston. His narration weaves together forgotten folktales, personal perspective and solid historical detail: the kind of storytelling that fills in what the standard accounts left blank. The tour is structured around sites where people made history but got left out of it, moving you through the centuries in a way that connects the places you're standing in to the larger arc of the city's past.

The tour is wheelchair accessible and suitable for all fitness levels. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed. Adults must accompany any children on the walk.

What’s included

• 2-hour guided walking tour narrated by Damon Fordham.
• visits to Charleston City Market, Heyward-Washington House, Old Slave Mart Museum and Charleston Waterfront Park.
• stories from Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church and Catfish Row.
• live guide in English.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 10:00 and 15:30Last departure this season: 31 Dec

Book up to6h before

AgesAdult (13 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (under 13)

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomeNot for back problems

Operated by Tour Charleston, LLC

Is this one for you?This is a shared group tour led by a guide, so you follow the route and hear the stories rather than setting your own pace. It suits anyone who wants the history of Black Charleston explained by someone with deep knowledge of it, and who prefers listening to a guide over reading a self-guided map.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (under 13).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is the Old Slave Mart Museum, and what will I see there?

The Old Slave Mart Museum is the building that once held slave auction galleries in downtown Charleston. On this tour you'll pass by it and hear its history as part of the broader narrative of Black Charleston.

How long is the walking tour, and how much ground does it cover?

The tour runs for 2 hours and covers several blocks of downtown Charleston, starting at the City Market and ending at Waterfront Park along the harbor. The pace is steady but manageable for all fitness levels.

Who is Damon Fordham, and what makes his perspective different?

Damon Fordham is a writer, historian, educator and licensed tour guide in Charleston. He combines historical knowledge with personal perspective and artful storytelling, focusing on the stories and people left out of standard history books.

Will the tour include stories about Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church?

Yes. The tour includes stories from Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church that have faded from memory over the centuries, woven into the larger narrative of Black Charleston's history.

Is this tour accessible if I use a wheelchair or have mobility concerns?

The tour is wheelchair accessible and suitable for all physical fitness levels. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries.